The Ministry’s Director of Press, Deworitshe Patricia, in a statement, yesterday, said the Minister made this pronouncement while receiving the Interim Report of the Committee set up to look into prevailing staff matters in the Commission in his office in Abuja.

It would be recalled that Akpabio, who expressed concerns over agitation within the Commission’s rank and files, had set up the committee to look into circumstances that led to the compulsory leave of some management staff, promotion, appointment and discipline exercise carried in this regard.

The committee was given three weeks to present its report on its findings and recommendations. The committee, which was guided by the provisions of the Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations, the Act setting up the NDDC, Condition of Service and other Extant Guidelines and Regulations guiding staff and related matters, was to examine generally the circumstances militating against a healthy work atmosphere and other attendant issues at the commission.

The Committee’s Chairman, Mrs. Lauren Braide, said the team in carrying out its assignment, met physically and virtually, consulted Directors of Human Resource Management (HRM) in both the Ministry and NDDC, examined applicable relevant rules and regulations, guidelines, documents and files to guide it in establishing the correctness or otherwise of the processes leading to the compulsory leave.

The committee recommended an immediate recall of all affected staff sent on compulsory leave to allow for fair-play, peace, industrial harmony in the NDDC and to avail the Forensic Auditors institutional memory.

The Committee noted, however, that the recommendation was not prejudicial to any future findings in the course of its ongoing assignment.